Yes on Initiative 297

Wednesday, September 29, 2004

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD

Washington state faces a dangerous nuclear legacy. We ought to make use of any power we have as a state to guide the handling of the toxic waste from the nation's rush to develop nuclear weapons and power.

Voters should say yes to Initiative 297, a broad measure to control the handling of mixed radioactive and hazardous materials wastes at Hanford and to halt the import of additional wastes until existing problems are cleaned up.

The measure is no panacea. Additional spending on oversight doesn't contribute directly to cleanup. Legal expenses will result from likely court challenges. Key federal budget decisions about cleanup are beyond what the state or even federal courts can dictate.

With or without I-297, the state, the federal government and contractors face an arduous, long-term task in trying to clean up the waste from the first 50 years of the nuclear era. That will require large doses of diligence, good faith and continuing federal dollars.

Still, approval of I-297 would give the state additional tools in the often-difficult struggles to focus the federal government's attention on cleaning up Hanford. The measure bans the use of unlined trenches for waste disposal. No new waste could be imported to the state until cleanup standards are met.

Sponsors believe the initiative would stand up to court challenges, in part because Congress gave states clear authority to regulate hazardous waste sites. When Congress offers such power, the state should act to protect the public.

We're reluctant to see law made by initiative. But the Legislature never acted, even when it had I-297 before it this year.

The federal government has made progress in many of its cleanup efforts. But its recent attempts to reclassify waste and bring more waste to the state show that backsliding is a real danger.

The federal government has promised to clean up the toxic legacy at Hanford. It must be held to its duty to do so. The state should use I-297 to aggressively protect the environment, the public's health and Washington's future.

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